depression help

I'm just starting here, so excuse my clumsiness. I was wondering what othersmay be willing to share that helped them with depression. After almost30 years with CFS?FM and 6surgeries in last2 years I am suicidal. One friend says NO SSRI's because we are already toxic. Anyone else care to chime in. I am feeling definitely desperate.

Just my 2 cents...... Anti depressants don't have a very good reputation as far as helping people with depression. In many cases they can cause suicidal thoughts and tendencies, that's why there are so many black box warnings on them now.

Therapy may help you more, and learning to accept what you can not change. I know that's a tough one to swallow, but in reality, we can not change the conditions, or diagnoses we have been given. We just keep searching for ways to help ourselves feel a little bit better, or accept that it will never get better, and make the best of what we have.

Hi KKramer, Welcome aboard I am truly sorry to hear you are feeling depressed. You are not alone and I pray you continue to hold on to hope. I read and article that getting enough sunlight and getting your vitamin D levels tested to see if they are low is important. Here is a link to an article that is related to the topic http://www.prohealth.com/me-cfs/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=16739&site=articles .

I'm just starting here, so excuse my clumsiness. I was wondering what othersmay be willing to share that helped them with depression. After almost30 years with CFS?FM and 6surgeries in last2 years I am suicidal. One friend says NO SSRI's because we are already toxic. Anyone else care to chime in. I am feeling definitely desperate.

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Karen, as I said on another thread, you need to go into your doctor immediately or get yourself to the ER if you are feeling suicidal. DO NOT listen to your friend. People who do a combination of drug therapy and talk therapy have the best outcomes and are the least likely to have another episode of depression.

Don't wait, call your suicide hotline to get help. We are not medical professionals here and cannot offer the help you need. All we can do is offer support. It's up to you to get the professional help you need. Best of luck to you.

Yes, I agree that you need professional help. Sure, antidepressants might have some SE's -- but if your alternative is suicide, then the SE's are a minor consideration. So please get help.

Once you are stable under professional care, there are things you can do to help yourself heal. Accepting what you cannot change is a key component of living with this illness. As humans, we seem hardwired on many levels to reject and fight against things that we don't like, things that are hard for us. But we have to be able to let go, stop fighting and accept. Also, how about keeping a thankfulness journal? Every morning, write down something you are thankful for and then, all day, when you get feeling down, focus on that thing.

Do something nurturing for yourself every day; tell yourself you're worth it. Love yourself! Be your own best friend and do not give up on yourself! Above all, get medical help!

Hi KKramer, Welcome to the board. Lots of nice people here to talk to.

I have been depressed most of my life. Here are some modalities that helped me. Therapy; meds;
hospitalization; the book "Feeling Good" by Dr. David Burns; the 12 step group Emotions
Anonymous; this board.

Yes please contact your doctor right away. There are so many treatment options available these days for you and your doctor to discuss and figure out what would be the best for you. I do a lot of things to help mine besides just meds. I try to eat healthy and stay away from caffeine and sugar. I try to stay busy walking or exercising. I take supplements. All these things are hard to do when you are fighting depression I understand that.
If you have your Vitamin D checked call your insurance company to see if they cover it. Ours doesn't and it's 250.00 every time one is done. But they will pay for the prescription of Vitamin D which I don't get..Another duh for health insurance. So just giving a heads up on checking that coverage first.
This is a late post I know..Hopefully you have been in communication with your doctor already.
Stay Strong. Thing can get better.

This is really a serious issue and a good lesson in why people should be very careful about anecdotal stories. Yes, some, (relatively few) can feel suicidal tendencies on some (relatively few) anti-depressants. However the real truth is that the number of people that actually happens to is minimal and if you were to have such a reaction you could be switched to a different kind of anti-depressant and that one could give you great relief and give you back a feeling of control over your life and body again.

It has been a few days since you posted. I hope you have taken seriously the advice given to call a suicide hotline at the times you feel the darkest thoughts overtaking you. I also hope you are working with and listening to a competent doctor rather than a friend's rehashing of something she feels or heard of that has been blown out of proportion. Feeling suicidal is a life and death issue and really people need to be more careful about what they say.

There have been times in the past 20 years where I fell into a clinical depression. It was such a suffering and I tried both anti-depressants and alternative therapies. It took very little time for the doctors to find an anti-depressant that worked for me and when I got the right one it felt like an absolute miracle. I was myself again and the torturous thoughts were gone. Had I listened to my friends who only believe in non-pharmalogical remedies at those times my brain was very chemically out of balance, I shudder to think how much longer the suffering to both myself and my family would have gone on, or if I would even be here right now.

By the way alternative therapies such as St. Johns Wart can also in some people worsen depressive thoughts of suicide so really you need to see a competent doctor for anything that is beyond mild situational depression.

I to do hope you hope you have called the suicide hotline or contacted your dr.

I believe myself that there is a place for both modern and western medicine in out society. They need to come together to give us the best healthcare possible.

It takes a lot of time and education to do supplements on your own. You not only have to find out what may help, but you need to watch the quality. There can be a lot of things in supplements that shouldn't be there and you could be putting them into your body. Like Michele said, some people can end up having worsen depression.

Look for a good Chiropractor who specializes, not one who just does adjustments. A friend I met on another board for example see's one that specializes in neurology, the brain and nutrition. He see's people from all over the country.

A Naturopathic doctor is another option to check into.

So before going it alone on supplements and cutting out your medication on your own. Please look into seeing one these types of doctors along with your medical doctors.

Hi KKramer, This may sound lame, but it worked for me. The first thing I did when I recognized that I was exhibiting signs of clinical depression was to "force" myself to stay out of the bed and off the couch, make myself get dressed everyday (and not live in my p.j.'s), put on my make up every day even if I had no place to go, and keep myself busy any way I could find. The second thing I did came after an "epiphany". When my father died in '95, I promised myself to put a smile on my face every day and never allow anyone to ever take it away from me. Oddly, if you smile long enough, you begin to feel happier. I also highly recommend a homeopathic approach to your condition. I went to an herbalist, and found a chiropractor who does trigger/pressure points, and adjusts very differently from the run of the mill chiro. This guy used to teach chiropractics at a chiropractic college in my area. I totally agree with FybroJune on the subject. I've had the Fybro for 18 years, 6 of them totally disabled. I do take some prescription meds for thyroid, sleep disturbances, pain and muscle relaxant. But I also take a plethora of homeopathic remedies that my M.D. approves of. He's onboard with my homeopathic approach. My M.D. is part of a group that is located in the hospital where all my doctors practice and my labs are done. They just added a homeopathic wing. I have now been back in the work force for 8 years. Essentially, it took all of these components to bring me from totally disabled, depressed and hopeless to happier, gainfully employed, and no longer depressed. I still have Fybro. I still have 24-7, 365 pain. But I've learned to push it back for the 8 hours I work. It just lands on me like a wrecking ball when I get home and sit down. At which point, I eat dinner, crawl up the stairs, medicate, meditate, light candles, use aromatherapy, hot soaks and anything else that makes me feel better.

kkramer, hope you are feeling better soon. I'm so sorry you're feeling the way you are feeling. Depression is not easy. Went through deep depression when I became aware that my Fybro and I will be life long buddies. And that my life had changed and would never be the same again. And, unfortunately, most antidepressants really do not work so well. Been there, tried that. Side effects. At least two made me suicidal. The good news is, this will pass. And, as I saw earlier in the posts, a good therapist can be of immense help. Accepting your condition and finding coping measures you are able to implement are good first steps. I wish you well. I wish you comfort. I wish you happiness. I wish you answers that help.

Dear Karen, Hope your are feeling better. Drop by; tell us about yourself. Have you found any
suggestions here that you might like to try? The "Feeling Good" author also has a workbook.
(He says the exercises won't work if you just read about them. You have to do them.)

Jaminhealth, I totally agree with you. I have seen some pretty amazing things happen with herbs and supplements. You just need the right chiro or naturopathic doctor to help you if you can. Makes it a lot easier.
Have you looked at Turmeric for help with inflammation? I know there are some clinical studies going on as far as it helping with infections and some cancers. My friend's, husband's oncologist recommended he try it for the inflammation.

kkramer...this is going to sound "off the wall", but the main culprit of your depression could possibly be a severe allergy to monosodium glutamate (better known as MSG). Today's processed foods are full of "hidden" MSG. Even if a label says "no MSG", it means it's not in the "pure" form. If ANY product you consume says it contains "natural flavor or natural seasoning", that's a form of "hidden" MSG.

If the meat you buy says it contains a solution (read the very fine print), that means it contains a hidden form of MSG. Be especially careful of Walmart meats. It's a flavor enhancer (to hide poor quality). I've even found it in tea. And, sadly, most soup brands need to be avoided...especially Campbell's (this broke my heart).

The minute I start feeling depressed, I start reviewing what I've eaten or drunk.

Back info: I used to cook with Accent (pure MSG). I got horribly depressed, suidical and developed "bouncing off the walls" migraines. I saw specialists and the last one I saw said I needed to see a shrink. I went for counseling and it wasn't helping. Talking with my sister on the phone one day, we were discussing a recipe. It called for MSG and she casually mentioned she couldn't eat it...it gave her headaches. It was like a lightbulb turned on. I stopped using Accent...it was only a matter of time and the major depression lifted as did the migraines. In later years, I learned about all the hidden forms.

The hardest part is eating in restaurants. They use a lot of processed ingredients and I have to order very basic foods telling them not to add any seasoning. Now, if I an exposed to it accidentally, I have a sleepless night, develop restless leg syndrome, and the next day, I'm depressed and sometimes flare.

I'm hoping you'll believe me about this and give it a try. Depression is sooooo awful and I'm soooo empathetic. Please know I care...

Get vitamin D and thyroid levels checked, very important. See an integrative medicine doctor if necessary (see acam.org to find one - it has a search feature at top of page under "Health Resources"
Also make sure you're getting enough omega 3's - there's a strong correlation between low omega 3 levels and depression. Fish oil and flaxseed oil are good sources.

look into 5-htp and l-tryptophan, amino acids which raise serotonin levels without the side effects of prescription anti-depressants. But don't take at the same time as SSRIs as you may develop serotonin syndrome, too much serotonin, which can be dangerous. I can't tolerate prescription AD's but do just fine with 5-htp.

And call a hotline if you are feeling suicidal. But do a lot of reserach, your own reading. It's really important to be well-informed - take care-

I tried ALL the anti-depressants at one time or another, and, for me, they did two things: make me even MORE depressed and caused liver damage. I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy. I found meditation extremely helpful, and getting involved in something that fascinated me. For me, that is birds. But you can write, craft, decorate, read to kids - there must be a gazillion ways to help. And helping is healing. For you AND the people or animals you help. And at the end of the day, you can say "I made a difference today!"